Why NY Rangers Should Believe in Dylan Garand

Here's why the New York Rangers should believe in Dylan Garand following the injury to Igor Shesterkin.

Oct 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) skates on the ice during a stoppage in play against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. However,  they also saw the loss of their star goalie for the rest of the season. 

Coming into Friday night, the Rangers were feeling good about how they started off the season. New York had a 4-1 record through five games and a perfect record at home. Compared to last year, this was a major improvement by the team, and hopes were high. 

However, at about the midway point of the second period, the Rangers saw their season change with an injury to Igor Shesterkin. While scrambling back to the net, Shesterkin jammed his right leg into the post hard and went down in pain immediately. 

Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice by a couple of teammates, and it didn’t look good right from the start for him. On Saturday, it was announced that he would be out for the rest of the season. 

With the star goalie out and the backup, Joonas Korpisalo also injured, the Rangers are going to be going with Dylan Garand as the starter. Garand is a name that has generated a lot of attention going back to last season. Now, he has a chance to prove what he can do in the NHL. 

NY Rangers Should Believe in Garand 

Oct 2, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand makes a save in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though the sample size might be small, Garand has been able to meet every challenge in the NHL so far. The 24-year-old was really impressive at the end of last season, and many believed that he would be the backup going into this season. 

Ultimately, the Rangers put him on waivers late, and he cleared to go back to the AHL. However, with Korpisalo getting injured, Garand was called back up quickly to be the backup for Shesterkin. 

In his first game of the year, he was able to post a shutout on the road against the Detroit Red Wings. Garand certainly looks the part, and the stats back it up so far that he can be a goalie in the NHL right now. 

With Shesterkin done for the year and Korpisalo out for at least a month, Garand is going to have a chance to showcase what he can do. While he entered in a really tough spot on Friday night, he performed well in that appearance. 

Even though the ceiling for the team has changed with one of the best goalies in the league getting hurt, they should believe in what Garand can bring to the table.